Krillin couldn't ride the Flying Nimbus, but he still wanted to come along and help find the kind of mature, glamorous woman Master Roshi liked. So he came up with a plan: strap himself onto Goku and let Goku carry him on the Nimbus.
And so the two of them set off, Goku perched on the golden cloud with Krillin clinging to his back. They cruised the skies, scouring the city for Launch. Krillin's eyes darted this way and that, hungrily searching for any hint of the "mature beauty" in his mind; Goku simply enjoyed the ride, trusting his companion's enthusiasm.
Not long after, a burst of gunfire cracked through the air—staccato, urgent.
"Rat-tat-tat—bang bang—"
"Chitter-chitter—"
Goku's eyes lit up. Gunshots meant trouble—which, in their world, often meant Launch. He steered the Nimbus toward the sound without hesitation.
A few breaths later, Launch came into view.
She was kneeling on the pavement, looking disheveled and innocent, while a circle of policemen trained their guns on her.
"Launch, you're under arrest!" one barked.
"Don't move—don't make this worse!" another warned.
"Raise a hand and we shoot!"
The cops closed in, wary of any sudden movement. Launch's pale hands clenched; she pressed one fist to her mouth, her long, fair legs scissoring backward as she scooted away in fear. "Who are you people?" she cried.
"You really don't know?" a cop snapped.
"Is that for real? You robbed a whole street—surrender now!"
Cornered, Launch screamed at the top of her lungs. "Help! Somebody, help me!"
Goku and Krillin hovered directly above her. Krillin's breath caught. "Wow—she's so pretty. She might match Master's taste," he said, eyes wide.
Goku nodded. "I'll save her."
Krillin swallowed. "But—those people have guns. Can we take them?"
"Don't worry," Goku said calmly.
He drove the Nimbus down in a dazzling dive. Krillin clutched his shoulders as they dropped. In seconds they were at Launch's side. The policemen barked, "Who goes there?" and "Do not interfere with an arrest!"
Goku pointed to Launch and stated plainly, "I'm here to rescue her."
Krillin, seeing the uniforms and badges, jumped off Goku and ducked behind a nearby rock, trying to appear uninvolved. He called out loudly, "Officers, for the record—this has nothing to do with me! I don't know him!"
The lead cop snapped back, furious: "Rescue her? Do you know who she is? She just robbed an entire street! Kid, cause trouble and we'll take you in too!"
Goku cracked his knuckles and apologized politely. "Sorry about this, everyone," he said—then, in one blur of motion, he closed the distance and finished the confrontation in three strikes. The policemen crumpled to the ground, bewildered and beaten.
With the cops knocked out, Launch's eyes lit up like a lamp. "Wow—you're so strong! Thank you for saving me. I don't know how to repay you."
Krillin stepped out, plastering on his bravest smile. "Heh heh—no problem. It's nothing. Why don't you come with us?"
Launch blinked. "But—didn't you say you weren't with him?"
Krillin waved a hand breezily. "That was a tactic! I was just playing weak to lower their guard."
"Oh!" she giggled, relieved.
So Launch climbed onto the Nimbus and rode it back with Goku and Krillin to Kame House.
At Kame House, Chi-Chi spotted the cloud descending and ran forward, excitement bright on her face. "Goku! You're back!"
"Yeah," Goku replied, hopping down from the cloud. "Where's Master Roshi?"
"In the house," Chi-Chi said. She glanced up and then froze. There, on the Nimbus, sat a strange woman. Her hair tumbled about wildly; she seemed at once innocent and trouble-tipped.
Goku landed lightly. Krillin clambered down too. Launch flipped gracefully off the cloud and gave Chi-Chi a bright, friendly smile. "Hi—I'm Launch."
Chi-Chi frowned. "What are you doing here?"
Launch blinked and shrugged. "I don't really know why I'm here. These two brought me." She turned to Krillin and Goku. "Why did you bring me here?"
Krillin hurried to explain, "Nothing serious—just that we want you to stay here for a bit."
Launch's face brightened. "Perfect! It means I'm saved—police were after me!"
Krillin froze. "P-police? Really?"
"Yes, those cops were real. Aren't they awful?" Launch opened a capsule and let fall a massive parcel. Zipper down, it revealed glittering jewelry and stacks of cash.
"Because I robbed a whole street," she said casually.
Krillin stared at the pile of wealth and then at the quiet, gentle face of Launch. The words tumbled out of her mouth so matter-of-factly that his jaw twitched. "Wait—are you for real? You're from a rich family, aren't you?"
Launch shook her head. "No joke—I've robbed trains and banks before. You should be careful around me. If I sneeze, my temper flips."
Krillin's eyes widened. He took a step back, suddenly very aware that the "seeming" sweetness masked a wild, dangerous streak.
Goku, for his part, scratched his head and smiled. The day had turned into another unexpected adventure—just the sort he liked.